'Proud of what they've built': Danbury's special core falls to SJCC in district final

CLYDE — Danbury's softball team didn't quite leave the full lasting imprint they wanted, but the Lakers still left quite the mark. Before last spring, Danbury had never played in a district final. But now, this Lakers core has been back-to-back district runners-up. "It's been really special," senior Michaela Harris said. "Last year was history, and we wanted to recreate it and go farther this year. It didn't happen tonight, but we're still proud of everyone, and it just means a lot to have done it together." Top-seeded Danbury couldn't extend its journey, falling to third-seeded Fremont St. Joseph, 6-3, in a D-IV district final Thursday night. The Crimson Streaks (12-13) move on to regional play in Berea, while the Lakers finish the season 18-11. It marked the final game for four Danbury seniors: Harris, Ellie Fish, Alera Masters and Hannah Bickley. The quartet began playing together at the 12U level, and all four were four-year varsity starters. "They've been a huge part of the program and a huge part of the build," said Danbury coach Jim Fish, Ellie's father. "The interest in softball in the community and the youth level is at an all-time high. We're really, really proud of that and that's all because of these guys. Really proud of what they've built." Danbury had made a habit the past couple seasons of beating SJCC in close games, but the Crimson Streaks reversed the script on the biggest stage. They did it in part by striking first — SJCC plated three runs in the first inning thanks to a Stella Thomas double, two walks and run-scoring singles by Gabby Santiago, Amaree Haralson and Cadence Waleryszak. "That was huge," SJCC coach Chad Black said. "We could've done a lot better, we made some mistakes, but it set the tone. It released pressure for us. It was exciting." Danbury came right back with two in the bottom half. Maci Brown and Masters each bunted for hits, with a throw away scoring Brown and a Miranda Evans single bringing in Masters. Masters grounded a single up the middle in the second to tie the game 3-3 as freshman Reese Redfern came home after a triple. "The only thing we could do was remain positive," coach Fish said. "... I like the way we responded." Thomas, a southpaw pitcher and hitter, blasted a home run long gone to right field on the second pitch of the third inning, and SJCC led the rest of the way. "When (our power hitters) put their swing together, that can happen," Black said. Danbury's best chance to tie it up came in the next half inning, when Fish singled and Ella McDonald launched a fly ball to deep right-center. But SJCC centerfielder Avery Naderer made a full-extension diving catch before firing back to first to complete a double play. "Da da da, da da da," Black said, replicating the Sportscenter Top 10 theme. "ESPN." The Crimson Streaks' final two runs came in the fifth, a frame that included singles by Maddie Militello, Santiago and Ellison Holbrook. Danbury put two on in bottom five (singles by Moriah Hatfield and McDonald) but couldn't get a run across. The Lakers added one hit in the sixth (Redfern single) but went down 1-2-3 in the seventh. "We may have felt the pressure a little bit today," coach Fish said. "That affected our execution here and there. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the mentality of the team. Just here and there, you saw the effects of pressure." Instead of Danbury's first-ever district title, it was Fremont St. Joseph's first in a long time — long enough that Black wasn't even quite sure of the exact year on the previous trophy. "It was a well-deserved team win from top to bottom," Black said. "Every single player, from the dugout to the field, it was a complete team win." The Lakers felt the sting in the immediate aftermath of the loss, knowing that an unprecedented two-year run was over. Danbury had never even made it out of a sectional until 2023, then notched a district semifinal victory each of the past two seasons. "No Danbury team had ever made it to this, and they've done it twice," coach Fish said. "You have to be proud of that, despite our goal being a district title and trip to the regional." More than that, Danbury's softball team was exactly what a small-school high school sports team should look like. The Lakers were chock full of multi-sport athletes who played hard, won a lot of games and had plenty of fun doing it together. Their season ended in a loss, like it does for almost every team. But what they accomplished the past few seasons could only be considered a victory. "Honestly, this team is just so funny," Harris said. "Every practice, there's something new going on. There's always a new joke. We have great coaches who support us in everything, and we have so many running jokes. "Just those memories and those jokes are really gonna stick through for the rest of life. These people kind of turned into family." SJCC 301 020 0 — 6 9 1Danbury 210 000 0 — 3 9 0WP: Thomas. LP: Fish 2B: (SJ) Thomas. 3B: (D) Redfern. HR: (SJ) Thomas